365th Bombardment Squadron
The 365th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 307th Strategic Wing, stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 June 1975. History The squadron was established in June 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment unit which trained under the Second Air Force. It deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in September 1942, being assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England. The squadron began flying long-range strategic bombardment missions on 17 November 1942 and attacked such targets as submarine pens, docks, harbours, shipyards, motor works and marshalling yards in France, Germany and the Low Countries. It continued its attacks on enemy cities, manufacturing centers, transportation links and other targets until the German capitulation in May 1945. After combat missions ended, the squadron moved to St Trond Air Base, Belgium in July 1945 where it conducted photo-mapping and intelligence-gathering flights called Project 'Casey Jones' over Europe and North Africa. On 15 December 1945 it moved to Lechfeld Airfield, Germany which it had bombed on 18 March 1944 and now used as an occupation base. The squadron was inactivated on October 1946 in Germany. Reactivated under Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1951 with B-47A (later B) Stratojet medium jet bombers, it began flying operational strategic bombardment and refueling missions from MacDill AFB, Florida. In 1955, SAC upgraded the squadron to the B-47E, the major production version of the Stratojet. In May 1959, the squadron, with B-47s, was reassigned to Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana. The squadron upgraded to the B-58 Hustler supersonic medium bomber in September 1960, it was declared operationally ready in August 1962. It began phasing down B-58 operations in 1969and was inactivated in 1970. Reactivated in 1972 as a provisional B-52D Stratofortress squadron at U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand, it flew combat missions over Indochina until 15 August 1973 when combat missions ended. It remained on alert until June 1975 when it was inactivated once more. Lineage * Constituted 365th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jun 1942 : Activated on 1 Mar 1942 : Inactivated on 31 Oct 1946 * Redesignated 365th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 11 Jun 1947 : Activated on 1 Jul 1947 : Inactivated on 6 Sep 1948 * Redesignated 365th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 Dec 1950 : Activated on 2 Jan 1951 : Inactivated on 1 Jan 1970 * Redesignated 365th Provisional Bombardment Squadron on 1 Jul 1972 : Placed in provisional status 1 Jul 1972 : Inactivated on 30 Jun 1975 Assignments * 305th Bombardment Group, 1 Mar 1942-31 Oct 1946; 1 Jul 1947-6 Sep 1948; 2 Jan 1951 * 305th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952-1 Jan 1970 * 307th Strategic Wing, 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1975 Stations * Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 1 March 1942 * Geiger Field, Washington, 11 June 1942 * Muroc Army Air Field, California, 4 July 1942 * Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, 29 August-4 September 1942 * RAF Grafton Underwood (AAF-106), England, 13 September 1942 * RAF Chelveston (AAF-105), England, 11 December 1942 * Sint-Truiden Airfield (ALG A-92), Belgium, 25 July 1945 * AAF Station Lechfeld (ALG R-71), Germany, 19 December 1945-31 Oct 1946 * Andrews Field (later, AFB), Maryland, 1 July 1947 – 6 September 1948 * MacDill AFB, Florida, 2 Jan 1951 * Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, 1 Jun 1959-1 Jan 1970 * U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand, 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1975 Aircraft * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1946 * B-18 Bolo, 1942 * B-24 Liberator, 1942 * B-29 Superfortress, 1951 * B-47 Stratojet, 1952–1960 * B-58 Hustler, 1960–1970 * B-52G Stratofortress, 1972–1975 References * Category:Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force Category:Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces Category:Military units and formations established in 1942